Here’s the final installment of my interview with Dan Forbes from Lead With Giants, exploring leadership in the 21st century.

10. When faced with two equally-qualified candidates, how do you determine whom to hire?

I look at the potential upside for professional growth, reflect, and then trust my intuition.

11. What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

Authentic empathy. If you don’t truly care for others in a manner in which they can “feel” it as well as think about it, why would you expect them to care about you or the firm? It’s the seed for building trust, engagement and creativity.

12. What are three words other people would use to describe your work style/ethic?

Passionate. Persistent. Visionary.

13. What do you see as the single-biggest stumbling block(s) for leaders?

A lack of awareness and emotional intelligence competencies. For all of us, our greatest stumbling blocks are often erected by ourselves. Engaging in personal development, elevating self-awareness which enables self-regulation, dialing in one’s sensitivity to the needs of those we lead (social awareness) all contribute to our ability to lead authentically.

The challenge we’re facing is we’re operating in a knowledge age while still clinging to transactional leadership optimized for the industrial age. Creativity is the key driver of value creation today, and that requires a new approach to leadership; transformational leadership. That’s a wide chasm to jump if you’ve been working from engrained management habits for twenty or thirty years. Leaders, and companies, that make this quantum leap will be the winners in the 21st century.

14. Are their people in your life, or in general, whom you particularly admire?

That’s a big question! I recently took the fifty most influential books I’ve ever read and arranged them on a large, empty floor, trying to capture how one idea led to another. How one author brought me to the next. So, there is a long list of authors that have helped shape my philosophy (Christian de Quincy, Joseph Campbell, Daniel Goleman, Amit Goswami, Dan Ariely, Mark Twain, Susan Scott…I could go on).

More personally, I admire my wife and her commitment to continuous growth and compassion for all. I admire Gail Clifton, who, for 25 years, has created and sustained a remarkable therapeutic riding center for disabled children (SMART) in Sarasota. I admire the pioneers that set the foundation for realizing the transformational power of the horse/human relationship; Barbara Rector, Linda Kohanov, Lisa Walters, Carolyn Resnick, Arianna Strozzi.

Most of all, I admire every combat veteran and their spouses that come through our Warriors in Transition program. Their presence never ceases to humble me.

15. Which book or books have influenced you the most?

Writing my own book was probably the most influential! More than books, it’s the authors’ body of work that often moves me. Anything by Joseph Campbell, Christian de Quincy, Dan Goleman, Amit Goswami, and Dan Ariely. I also go to classic literature for an exploration of the human condition. Literature holds wisdom. For me, the essential reading list for leaders should include:

“Pathways to Bliss” by Joseph Campbell (If you’re leading a multi-cultural, multi-generational organization then this is a must read! Mr. Campbell enables us to look at the world through the lens of comparative mythology, isolating the folk from the elemental human condition. Campbell also provides a very accessible introduction to the insightful work of Carl Jung).

16. What do you see as your greatest strength as a leader?

My transformational mindset. I’m here to serve those I have been given the privilege to lead and those that are paying for it; our customers. If I take care of my people, they’ll take care of our customers. In turn, our customers will take care of our investors and stakeholders. It’s truly that simple.

17. What do you see as your greatest weakness as a leader?

Finding and practicing balance. I must make time for being as well as doing. Wisdom rarely appears through bleary eyes.

18. What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

I’m so fortunate my work immerses me in the exploration, experimentation, and validation of thought leadership. Coaching and developing leaders requires I continuously seek to improve myself. Doing the work, traveling to meet kindred thinkers, it all pulls me forward.

19. What have you learned the hard way? Or, What role has failure played in your life?

To see failure as opportunity. When I look back at my failures and connect the dots I can see how failure often was just a bit of housecleaning, clearing the space for something much more rewarding and important to come into my life. I didn’t always see it this way.

20. If you could give one piece of advice to young leaders from what you’ve learned by experience, what would it be?

I have to refer to Joseph Campbell’s advice, “Find your bliss.” It’s everything, and if you are chosen to be a leader, leading from the heart and being of service to others will continuously renew your spirit and energy. It keeps you going, even through the challenging times.

“When you first meet with Terry, you realize that he's often the smartest guy in the room. I don't mean to merely refer to cognitive strength, but also to emotional intelligence, which is one of the key values he brings as a consultant, coach, and leader. He's incredibly tuned into how people can transform performance by being more present and generous in giving of themselves in everything they do. The best part is that his work actually moves the needle, and in a short period of time. I'm so glad to have worked with Terry to align our technology with his work and I look forward to tracking with him as his business continues to make a huge impact in the market.”
~ Patrick Donahue, Director, Strategy and Partnerships, DemocraSoft, Inc.

"You are really a dynamo! The Leadership Training you conducted in Hawaii was a very profound experience that created a breakthrough in my business and personal life. As a result, a whole new level of creativity and productivity entered my life. I was able to find the precious time and energy necessary to move ahead and launch The Hollywood Hawaii Media Alliance - a dream job opportunity. This would not have occurred without your leadership guidance and in depth workshop content which opened my heart and mind to new possibilities. I feel you have touched my life on a very deep level and am very grateful for you and the excellent work you do."
~ Monica Roberts, President, MediaStar Hawaii

“These equine assisted programs facilitate successful returns, reunions, and reintegration for service personnel and their families...Programs and events such as this do much to build strong, resilient families and are much appreciated.”
~ General David Petraeus, commenting on the Warriors in Transition Workshop

"Terry, I can relate to the multisensory approach to learning as I experienced it in the workshop with you and the horses. It provides a profound internalization of lessons and awareness. Thank you for doing this work on behalf of anyone, anywhere. I recommend it to those searching for insights, relationships, community and patterns within one’s world. It helped me with getting out of my own way, opening and welcoming new information and the safety to truly allow and experience it."
~ Amy Kelsall, Ph.D.

“Terry’s program helped me create a space for a conversation to occur which helped me determine what I truly value in my life. The experience is allowing me to engage my greatest passions and put my creative strengths into action. Before this program, I was always talking about what I wanted to do. Now I'm actually doing it.”
~ Scott M., Entrepreneur.

“Throughout our 8 month Coaching and Business Consulting relationship, working with Terry inspired me to keep striving in spite of ongoing challenges during the start up of my Non Profit corporation. We developed a Strategic Plan that keeps me focused, maximizes my time and energy and builds the cultural foundation necessary to keep our Mission alive and at the heart of everything we do. Terry's insight sets him apart from everyone else in his field and true to his aim, transforms performance on every level of human endeavor.”
~ Patricia Ulloa Curcio, Managing Director, Palmarie Community Transformation Alliance

“Terry's integrity and attention to ethical standards of practice is evident in all areas of his commitments and work; The Epona Approach™, Epona Quest Foundation and with his own business, Performance Transformation LLC™. Terry Murray's inspired Business and Leadership Training programmes are rich in content. They affirm and elicit the very best of an individuals valuable contributions and abilities, thereby creating a cycle of consistently successful outcomes for both employees and employers. I worked with Terry as a group facilitator, over a year long training programme and observed his dedication and natural enthusiasm for team work and his flare for achieving successful outcomes - what ever the odds. His inclusive beliefs in the values of the Epona Approach methodology and the time he dedicates to co-initiating projects such as The Epona Quest Foundation and Warriors in Transition project are testament to the fact that he is an outstanding person - or a 'jolly good egg' as we might say here in England!”
~ Sun Tui, Director, International Foundation Equine Assisted Learning™